Charlotte Guest was the first to publish the entire Four Branches, after William Pughe published two of them earlier. The Guest text continues as popular today even though other translators have published new versions. For more on the history and background see:
Charlotte Guest * Pughe * The story Episodes (retold, but close to the original) *
THE FOUR BRANCHES OF THE MABINOGI: CONTENTS
GUEST TEXT Notes on how this set of texts works and some background.
THE FIRST BRANCH “Pwyll Prince of Dyfed.”
THE SECOND BRANCH “Branwen the Daughter of Llyr.”
THE THIRD BRANCH “Manawyddan the Son of Llyr.”
THE FOURTH BRANCH “Math the Son of Mathonwy.”
THE FIRST BRANCH “Pwyll Prince of Dyfed.”
Pwyll [1]Guest’s endnote interprets the meaning of Pwyll as ‘Prudence’ followed by other references to the name Pwyll. Previous publications to hers of the Pwyll text are given. Guest refers to Pwyll and Pryderi in Taliesin’s Preiddeu Annwn, suggesting this places them in the time of Arthur. She gives a long quote from it (from the flawed MA, so another source for this text should be used instead). She refers to Prydwen, Arthur’s ship; and to Gwair’s captivity in the Triads, which she cross refs. to her p. 261.
Guest’s full endnote, with suggested citation, is on this link: Note 339a. (CG) Prince of Dyved [2]Guest’s note. DYVED.
(Citation – Guest, 1877: 361-62. Note to p. 339(b)) was lord of the seven Cantrevs[3]CANTREF in modern orthography. of Dyved; and once upon a time he was at Narberth[4]The Mabinogi speaks of ARBERTH. There are two candidates for the Mabinogi Arberth; one is the southerly town of Narberth; the other is the village of Nant Narberth further north near Cardigan. Guest has translated Arberth to the modern town of Narberth. in his chief palace, and he was minded to go and hunt, and the part of his dominions in which it pleased him to hunt was Glyn Cuch.[5]Guest’s note. 339c So he set forth from Narbeth that night, and went as far as Llwyn Diarwyd. And that night he tarried there, and early on the morrow he rose and came to Glyn Cuch, when he let loose the dogs in the wood, and sounded the horn, and began the chase. And as he followed the dogs, he lost his companions; and whilst he listened to the hounds, he heard the cry of other hounds, a cry different from his own, and coming in the opposite direction.
NOTES
| 1. | ⇑ | Guest’s endnote interprets the meaning of Pwyll as ‘Prudence’ followed by other references to the name Pwyll. Previous publications to hers of the Pwyll text are given. Guest refers to Pwyll and Pryderi in Taliesin’s Preiddeu Annwn, suggesting this places them in the time of Arthur. She gives a long quote from it (from the flawed MA, so another source for this text should be used instead). She refers to Prydwen, Arthur’s ship; and to Gwair’s captivity in the Triads, which she cross refs. to her p. 261. Guest’s full endnote, with suggested citation, is on this link: Note 339a. (CG) |
| 2. | ⇑ | Guest’s note. DYVED. (Citation – Guest, 1877: 361-62. Note to p. 339(b)) |
| 3. | ⇑ | CANTREF in modern orthography. |
| 4. | ⇑ | The Mabinogi speaks of ARBERTH. There are two candidates for the Mabinogi Arberth; one is the southerly town of Narberth; the other is the village of Nant Narberth further north near Cardigan. Guest has translated Arberth to the modern town of Narberth. |
| 5. | ⇑ | Guest’s note. 339c |